chapter 3

The nurse raised an eyebrow at Jack's answer. "So you're saying you have no idea who this woman is?"

"No, I don't," Jack insisted. "I just found her on the dance floor, bleeding. I have no idea what happened."

"Hmmm," the nurse murmured, scribbling something on her clipboard. "Did you notice any foreign objects in her body? Maybe something like a knife or a wooden stick?"

"Nothing like that," Jack said. "I only saw her bleeding. I didn't notice anything else."

"Is she going to be okay?" Jack asked, his voice shaking.

The nurse paused, her expression grave. "She's in critical condition," she said. "She lost a lot of blood, but our doctors are doing everything they can." With that, she turned and walked away.

Jack couldn't bear to sit still any longer. He paced the waiting room for a few more minutes, but finally decided he had to leave.

The rain poured down from the dark sky, a downpour that soaked the city. Lightning crackled in the distance, followed by a deafening boom of thunder.

He wandered the city streets, oblivious to the rain that soaked him to the bone.

A taxi driver leaned on his horn and yelled, "Watch where you're going, you idiot!"

Jack hardly even noticed as the cab drove past, splashing him with muddy water. He was too caught up in his own thoughts.

He continued down the busy street, drenched from head to toe. The rain poured down, soaking everything in sight. Finally, he reached the bridge and stopped, leaning against the railing.

The wind blew past him, sending a chill through his drenched clothes. The rain continued to fall, and he felt the tension in his body start to melt away.

Suddenly, the rain stopped pelting him. Confused, he turned to see Adolf standing behind him, holding an umbrella over his head.

"You left the party early," Adolf said with a grin.

"Do you really think I need the umbrella?" Jack asked, turning to face Adolf. "I'm a werewolf, remember? I'm not going to get sick from the rain."

Adolf shrugged. "It seemed like the right thing to do." He looked at Jack, his expression growing serious. "What's really going on? I heard you talking about a girl. Who is she?"

"No one you need to know about," Jack said, his voice tight.

"C'mon, man," Adolf pressed. "I'm your best friend. You can tell me anything."

Jack ignored Adolf's probing and started walking away.

"Hold on, Jack!" Adolf called out, running after him. They climbed into a taxi and headed back to their apartment.

The ride home was silent. When they reached their building,jack hurried inside, leaving Adolf behind.

Adolf closed the distance between them, his hand resting on Jack's shoulder. Suddenly, his eyes turned a dark blue and his teeth grew into long fangs.

"Where is she?" he growled, his voice low and rumbling. "I want to tear her apart."

"Control yourself," Jack warned. "If you can't keep your wolf side in check, I'm not going to tell you anything."

"The hospital," Adolf said, his voice low. He ran out of the building, his claws extended and teeth bared. He sprinted down the street, moving with inhuman speed.

"Damn it," Jack cursed, racing after him. He was almost as fast as Adolf, but not quite. They weaved through the streets, dodging pedestrians and traffic.

"Make way! " Jack screamed as he approached the hospital with great speed, beckoning on the pedestrians to move.

Adolf reached the hospital, the security tried to stop him, but were injured as he defeated all of them, some died from his bite.

Just as Adolf was about to attack Kimberly, Jack tackled him to the ground. They rolled across the floor, wrestling for control. Jack managed to push Adolf out the window, sending him falling two stories to the ground below.

Adolf landed on his feet, seemingly unfazed by the fall.Jack jumped from the building. He grabbed Adolf by the throat and dragged him into the hospital's garage.

"Adolf, calm down!" Jack yelled. "You'll ruin everything!"

"I can't help it," Adolf snarled. "I live by the alpha's wolf command. I follow his rules. "

Jack's eyes widened in alarm. He lunged for Adolf, but the other man was too fast. He broke free of Jack's grip, sending Jack crashing into a parked car.

Jack stood, shaking off the impact of the crash. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he lunged at Adolf, striking him with a series of rapid-fire punches. The impact was enough to knock Adolf unconscious.

"I didn't want to do that, Adolf," Jack said, his voice full of regret. "But you left me no choice."

"Shit!" Jack exclaimed, his eyes wide with panic. "How am I supposed to get past the cops?" He paced back and forth, his mind racing.

"Leave that to me," a feminine voice said from behind him.

Jack whirled around, only to find himself staring at Daciana. She smiled at him, her gaze full of concern.

"Ciana!" he cried, rushing to embrace her. But his arms passed right through her, and he realized she was just an illusion.

"I'm actually at the pack," she paused then,continued. "I just wanted to check in on you two. It looks like you've caused quite a bit of trouble." She fixed him with a look that was amusing. "Any progress finding the girl?"

Jack sighed, knowing he had a lot to explain. "It's been... complicated," he said, rubbing his palms. "But I think we're finally getting somewhere."

"Is he...dead?" Daciana asked

"No, he's just knocked out," Jack replied, his expression pale . "He was trying to do something terrible."

"I'm guessing it had something to do with Kimberly?" Daciana said, a smile spreading at the corners of her lips.

Jack's eyes widened. "How did you know her name?" he stammered.

" Put your hands in the air. " The cops' voice rang in the air.

" oh, yh. I totally forgot about them. " Daciana said as she snapped her fingers."Good bye, Jack. " She vanished.

" Good bye? Come back here.'' Before Jack could react, he found himself and Adolf in their apartment on the couch.

Kimberly POV

,"Why is it deserted here?" Kimberly asked the woman dressed like a rogue.

The woman kept mute, her gaze, fixed on Kimberly.

" Hello. Can you take me home? I was at a party then.. I don't get how I got stuck here. How did I get here? " Kimberly panicked.

The woman tilted her head, still mute.

" I'll buy you a KFC chicken bucket. Please, take me home! " Kimberly paused, scrutinizing the woman's features. She hissed loudly. " I'm going to find my way out of here, I'll do my thing myself. Crazy old lady. " she murmured and walked out.

Kimberly moved out, walking through the streets and to see a way out, but all the roads led to the woman.

" You a witch or something? " she asked, her face echoing frustration.

The woman kept mute, her face pale.

"I am Daciana," the woman said, finally breaking her silence. "And you're…stupid."

"Stupid? I guess that's one way to put it," Kimberly said, letting out a sigh of relief. "Can you help me get out of here? I don't want to be stuck here forever."

Daciana looked at her thoughtfully. "How did you come to possess the flower's power ?" she asked. "You look...unlikely to have been chosen by it."

"You want me to tell you a way out?" Daciana asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, please," Kimberly said, her frustration building. "I don't want to be stuck here. I had a life before all this."

Daciana paused, bit her finger. "The only way out is if you can beat me in combat," she said, her eyes narrowing. "Do you think you can do that?"

"This isn't a video game or a movie," Kimberly said. "This is my life. I can't just fight an old lady. "

"Fine," Kimberly said, rolling up her sleeves and clenching her fists. "Let's do this."

She charged at Daciana, but the woman was too fast. Before she could blink, Daciana had lifted her off her feet and tossed her across the room.

Gasping for breath, Kimberly scrambled to her feet. "You're...a powerful old lady," she said.

Daciana's eyes flashed. "I'm more than just a powerful old lady," she said, a smirk playing on her lips. "I'm a goddess"

"A goddess of trapping and intimidation?" Kimberly said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Now that's more like it."

Daciana let out a low growl, and her hair turned into a mass of writhing snakes. Her eyes glowed like fire, and her beautiful face became terrifying. She was no longer a woman - she was a monster.

"Quit the chit-chat and let's fight!" Daciana roared.

"You've got it!" Kimberly said, her heart racing as fear builded in it.

After several minutes of fighting, Kimberly was exhausted. She struggled to catch her breath, her limbs shaking.

Daciana stood before her, seemingly unbothered by the fight. "You're weak," she said with a smirk. "And you're wasting my time."

"I'm...just getting started," Kimberly said, trying to sound more confident than she felt.

"Ha!" Daciana laughed. "You're barely standing. I think this little game is over. You're free to go home. And remember one thing, you're the alpha's mate. Peace. "

" Alpha's mate? " Before she could reason what Daciana said, she found herself in the hospital with teams of doctors stitching her abdomen.